Naruto: Symphony of Eternity: Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf
by MandoCommander
Summary: Sequel to Absolution Shall Not Come. As the Shinobi Alliance descends into chaos, the combined forces of the dark lord Jashin move to carry out the next phase of his plans for the world. With a new war upon their village and their team divided once more, Naruto and Sakura struggle to cope with this turn of events while their relationship continues to grow. Rated for mature themes.
1. Chapter 1: Memories Amongst the Flames

**Naruto: Symphony of Eternity**

 **Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf**

 **The sequel to Book1: Absolution Shall Not Come.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, the plot and main pairings would actually make sense.**

 _"The shadow has fallen, the darkness seeking to consume the world is upon us in-full. And what can our great champions do as they charge when out of breath? In the unrelenting nightmare that is yet to come, the greatest strength for all who stand against it will be each other."_

 **A/N: And so, Book 2 begins! This picks up where the finale of Book 1 left off. A short omake miniseries titled** **The Work Journal for All Things Akatsuki** **will be featured at the end of chapters. Rated for intense violence, blood and gore, excessive crude humor and language, and suggestive themes. I'm considering changing it in time. Enjoy, my deeply appreciated readers!**

 **Chapter 1: Memories Amongst the Flames**

As the first rays of the morning sun began to rise over the horizon, the blood moon had not yet dissipated from the sky as night slowly faded to day. The Hidden Leaf Village remained under the full effects of the curse, its denizens both civilian and shinobi alike slumbering away where they fell from exhaustion. Flames and smoke remained a testament to the brief but vicious fighting that had occurred just a few hours prior. The might of the reorganized Akatuski and their new dark lord had cut a swath of death and destruction in the superbly-executed surprise raid.

Sprawled about on the stomach on the cold pavement, Naruto was in a deep, deep state of unconsciousness. His thoughts within the recesses of his mind recalled when he stood face to face with the manipulator of the Six Paths of Pain, Nagato, and the words the two of them exchanged just before the latter succumbed to his loss of chakra.

 _To say that Naruto wasn't enraged as he looked upon the face of the man who had not only killed his dear friend and mentor, Jiraiya, and had brought so much death and destruction to his home and all his friends would be a severe understatement. The blonde teenage boy stood inside the artificial alcove with Nagato and Konan, the ones in charge of the Akatsuki's brutal offensive into the Hidden Leaf Village that ended with nearly the entire city being leveled by Tendo Pain, and countless hundreds being buried alive under piles of rock and rubble._

 _"So, you finally arrived. And you came alone. Did you think on what I said?" Nagato asked Naruto to give his answer on the final words the former spoke to him through Tendo Pain when their battle reached conclusion._

 _"I tried… not a moment went by on my way here where I did not wonder what would happen when we finally met face to face. You asked me if I could let go of my hate, ever find peace within myself, but here and now as I look at you and remember all the things you've done…" as Naruto paused, Konan stepped protectively in front of Nagata, ready to defend her last surviving childhood friend. Naruto finished as he bellowed in fury, "I realize, I CANNOT FORGIVE YOU!"_

 _"Such a pity… but you see, you've proven my suspicions correct…" as Nagato trailed off and Konan stepped aside with a nod from him, the former had a firing mechanism in his harness launch a large metal bolt directly into Naruto, impaling him through the stomach. Naruto had no time to react, still wounded from their previous battle. He gasped in pain as he doubled over and fell to his knees. Nagato continued, "If you cannot let go of the hatred that burns within you, then you can never know true peace. And as such, you're proposal is no longer worth considering. You're just like the rest, a symptom of the festering animosity that plagues our world. Now, it's over. You will come quietly. The Nine Tails will serve us well."_

 _Naruto glared up at the duo in front of him, his face contorted with rage, but as he stared them down, he recalled the words of his deceased mentor, who he had only recently learned was also an instructor to both Nagato and Konan as well years ago. Jiraiya spoke to him about the state of the world, and his lamenting words that the different villages, countries, and clans were all motivated by feelings of mistrust and hatred. But the aging sage master whom Naruto had taken to calling Pervy Sage due to his more lecherous personal habits continued by explaining his confidence that someday the world would truly know peace and harmony between its different societies, because sooner or later mutual cooperation would have to be achieved._

 _As Naruto raised his head to look back up at his foes, the words of his former sensei replayed over and over in his mind. As he painfully pulled the metal bolt from his stomach and tossed it aside, Pain and Konan watched in silence. Naruto struggled to remain on his knees, but the chakra of the Kyuubi slowly began to regenerate his punctured flesh. Looking back up to Pain and Konan again, the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki finally spoke up once again._

 _"You know… when Pervy Sage spoke those words to me all those years ago, I honestly wasn't paying full attention. I was just delighted to be talking with him, like I always was. But now whenever I think back, I understand what he was trying to tell me. He was right, this world is driven by hate, and hate only creates more hate, just like you said…" Nagato looked on as he raised an eyebrow. Konan began listening intently as well. Naruto continued, "You guys don't seem like those other Akatsuki only interested in killing and creating destruction. But I can't go along with your plan. It's wrong. Killing Jinchuuriki for their tailed beasts, removing the balance between the villages, and forcing them into open war, won't bring the peace you seek."_

 _Nagato didn't need much time to think before replying to the words of his younger foe, "If you're so sure the events we have set in motion won't bring the peace you and we both seek, then tell us, do you have a better alternative? Or are you just grasping at straws, afraid of the inevitable?"_

 _"No, I don't have a better alternative. But remember when you said those who didn't know true pain could never understand true peace?" Naruto continued after he saw Nagato nod, "Well, I've felt pain before. You're not the only one…" Naruto trailed off as his mind recalled his traumatic past in the Hidden Leaf village, all the misery and suffering at the hands of villagers lashing out at him for the terrible creature he contained inside of himself. However, he also recalled rising above the adversity, overcoming countless obstacles and challenges to prove himself a capable and worthy ninja. All the precious friends he made, the connections with them and the fun times he had with everyone, including Jiraiya. The world was pain, but it was also something worth protecting. Nagato abruptly brought Naruto out of his thoughts as he called out to him once more._

 _"If you know true pain… and want true peace, then tell me this, how do you hope to achieve that? How do you know you won't give in one day, and become the very thing you say you oppose?"_

 _"I told you already, I don't know. I have no idea what the future holds. But I do know this, I'll never stop trying. I'll keep searching for the answer until I have it. I won't quit, I'll never give up! That's my ninja way!"_

 _Both Nagato and Konan felt their eyes go wide at the sudden declaration of their younger foe, his words of sheer confidence resonating in both of them. After a long moment of silence, Nagato softened his expression, bemusement taking hold. At last, he had an answer he could accept from the boy in front of him._

Nagato had chosen to relent, and allow Naruto to depart with his confidence that the latter would indeed find a way to create lasting peace in the world. As a token of his good faith, he surprised Naruto by sacrificing the last of his chakra to revive everyone he had slain in the invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village. Konan initially protested, but relented as well, and looked on sadly as her tortured childhood friend gave the last traces of his life force away to restore others. Naruto returned home a hero, finally recognized as the great ninja he always worked himself to the bone to become. However, he also understood, even now in his subconscious mind, that attaining lasting peace across the world was much easier said than done.

* * *

A short distance away, Sakura was in a similar state on the floor of the fourth level in the village hospital. Her own subconsciously-recalled memories took her back to when she, Naruto, Sai, and Yamato had arrived to back up her former sensei and Team 10 against the Akatsuki just beyond the borders of the Land of Fire in the Fallen Woodlands.

 _The pink-haired teenager panted harshly as she struggled to retain her bearings. It was supposed to be a simple assignment, overwhelm and terminate the two Akatsuki who had eliminated Captain Asuma just days prior. Sakura, along with her friends and teachers, hadn't anticipated the swift arrival of a second Akatsuki duo aiming to back up their allies. A second duo that had already afforded her a near brush with death in the Land of Air when they had moved to secure the Two Tails from its Jinchuuriki host no matter how much she and her friends and allies attempted to stop them._

 _When the two new arrivals, Osamu and Sasori, joined Kakuzu and Hidan in battle against the Leaf ninjas, the already strenuous fighting only became much more fast-paced and lethal. At this point, Choji and Shikamaru were seriously injured and incapacitated, and to the horror of everyone both Izumo and Kotetsu had been brutally cut down. Kakashi, Kiba, and Yamato were holding their own against both Osamu and Kakuzu, who made menacing assaults with their Lightning Style and Earth Grudge Fear, respectively. Sakura, Ino, Naruto, and Sai continued their best efforts to keep Hidan and Sasori off-balance, with mixed results. More reinforcements from the village were on the way, but how soon they would arrive was unclear. These four Akatsuki seemed unfazed and virtually unaffected by most physical attacks, a frightening sight to behold for their foes._

 _"Earth Grudge Fear: Synchronized Arson!" With his fire and air masks on his shoulders, Kakuzu unleashed a torrent of energy from both jutsu styles. The resulting blasts found their targets, who barely had enough time to shield themselves. Kakashi, Kiba, and Yamato were already battered and burned, but refused to stay down._

 _"Now!" Kakashi shouted, and the trio attempted a flanking maneuver. Osamu moved in and unveiled his next attack._

 _"Strike of the Titans: Thunder Clap!" Slamming both his palms together, the other rogue Waterfall ninja sent forth a loud rumbling shockwave mixed with lightning sparks that shot through the air. Sakura couldn't help but look on in her own state of shock as the trio were electrocuted and sent flying back into both giant rocks and large, broken tree husks. What caused her horrorstruck expression to increase was the sinister look in Osamu's eyes as he shifted his focus to her and her group. She couldn't tell exactly what the man was thinking, but she knew he wasn't about to miss any opportunity to flip the scales._

 _Without a word, Osamu linked the fingers on his right hand together and cast an arc of lightning directly at Naruto and the others still fighting Sasori and Hidan. At the same time, Kakuzu continued to keep up the offensive on their downed foes, having his earth and water masks, still separated as his minions, join him in hunting for Kakashi, Kiba, and Yamato in the dust and rubble._

 _"Watch out!" Sakura alerted her friends, still locked in battle with Sasori and Hidan, to the immediate danger. Temporarily backing off from their opponents, the four youth dodged the lightning arc just in time, though as it hit the ground where they had been nanoseconds prior, the blast engulfed both Ino and Sai. The dust cloud obscured her line of sight and she covered her eyes with her arm to shield them, but Sakura recognized this cover would not keep their deadly Akatsuki foes from them._

 _Emerging from the dust and uncovering her eyes, they went wide as the pink-haired ninja saw Osamu upon her in the blink of an eye, drop kicking her swiftly in the gut and slamming her down into the dirt._

 _"Gah!" Sakura yelped in pain as her back sank into the hard earth beneath her, and Osamu leapt off of her as quickly as he knocked her down. Back with his feet firmly planted on the ground, the vicious Akatsuki combatant quickly took aim with his right index and middle fingers, preparing the deliver the death blow. Stunned and with the wind knocked out of her, Sakura could only watch as he charged up a bolt of lightning._

 _"Looks like you're going home in a body bag, pinkie. Nothing personal," as he finished, Osamu saw her close her eyes in anticipation._

 _"GET AWAY FROM HER!"_

 _Her eyes flew open once more. Naruto furiously leapt at Osamu with a charged rasengan in hand. Said Akatsuki member simply redirected his attack and fired, but the blonde ninja had the foresight to teleport behind Osamu and strike him with the rasengan just as the latter swiftly turned to face him. Naruto just barely succeeded in dodging a blast of intense vapor released from Osamu's Steam Style._

 _With a grunt born of the twinge of pain, Osamu was forced to the ground this time. Sakura looked on, seemingly in a trance as she saw Naruto growl at the sight of his wounded opponent, his eyes and face contorted in a rage._

 _Whatever surprise Osamu had felt at the swift and brutal counterassault of his younger opponent wore off quickly, his face taking on a widening grin as he chuckled in amusement. Both the Leaf ninjas kept their eyes on him as he licked away the small trail of blood than slowly ran from the corner of his mouth. Utilizing the telltale quick motion with his fingers, Osamu silently activated his Mist Style and held his grin as he phased down into the ground and out of sight._

 _"Coward! Show yourself!" Naruto roared as he clenched his fists._

 _"Naruto! Don't forget about the other Akatsuki! We're getting overwhelmed!" Sakura groaned out, clutching her stomach as she raised her head to look her teammate in the face. She lost her train of thought as he turned to face her. His expression softened, his brilliant sea blue eyes shimmering as he looked in her own emerald orbs, strained with pain and worry._

 _"Sakura! Don't worry, I won't let them win! I'll- AARRGH!"_

 _"NARUTO! NO!"_

 _Out of the ground beneath them, spikes made of ice impaled Naruto through both his feet and arms, trapping him in a painful snare. The chuckling they heard earlier gave way to full blown laughter as Osamu emerged from the ground to stand in front of the boy once more, towering over his prey. The menacing rogue ninja spoke through his wicked grin as Naruto glared murder at him. He slowly unsheathed his katana at the same time._

 _"My employer will be most pleased when I deliver the Nine Tails to him. Make your peace, boy," Osamu gave Naruto no time to reply before running him through the stomach with the steel blade. He cried out and gasped before coughing up blood, while Sakura shrieked at the same time._

 _"NARUTO! NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

 _The pink-haired ninja attempted to rise to her feet, only to be swiftly kicked over the head and left barely conscious by Hidan, who remarked on her wounded state with his typical demented malice as he raised his scythe at her._

 _"Hardly a worthy sacrifice to Lord Jashin, but better than nothing."_

 _Encasing his right forearm and hand in a glimmering aura of white and silver chakra, Osamu activated a jutsu Sakura had only seen once before, when Osamu had literally reached into Gaara to tear the Two Tails out from within him, and act that would have left the Jinchuuriki permanently deceased were it not for Lady Chiyo. However, Sakura had enough bearings left to recognize the jutsu, and the implications. If the extraction ritual was completed, Naruto would be dead._

 _Naruto was too badly injured and stuck in place to offer any resistance, and Osamu thrust his arm forward and tore deep into the very being of the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki, paying the choked gasp of the teenage boy no heed at all._

 _"Yes… I feel it… the Nine Tails… it's not going quietly, and I wouldn't expect it to, but not even the greatest of the tailed beasts can escape this technique. I'll fetch a hefty payday before the sun sets…"_

 _With a strong grasp on the tailed beast, Osamu began to wrench the Nine Tails from within Naruto, who was almost unconscious at this point, the overwhelming drain on both his and the chakra from the Kyuubi sapping his usual infallible stamina. Sakura couldn't rip her eyes away from the sight as she watched with teary eyes, completely helpless to him as she always feared. She struggled to get out the words on the edge of her tongue, and even when she did, he could no longer hear her._

 _"Naruto! Please… don't leave me!"_

Fortunately Naruto did not perish that day, and the Nine Tails remained out of the hands of the Akatsuki. Reinforcements arrived just moments later, and Osamu was unable to complete the ritual without giving it his full focus, as he had warned Sasori when he tore the Two Tails from Gaara. The Akatsuki decided to withdraw before the battle went against them, and abducted Ino to serve as leverage against further intervention as they continued on to rendezvous with Pain and the rest of their team.

Even so, the painful memories of that day continued to haunt Sakura within her subconscious as she remained asleep, sweat beading down her forehead as she mumbled softly.

"Naruto… don't go… I need you…"

* * *

Across the world, back at the main temple of the Order of Jashin, the majority of the Akatsuki and the cultists were settling back in after the success of their separate assignments, Lord Jashin himself having teleported everyone back to the secluded citadel within the blink of an eye. One of the few individuals still up and about was Osamu, who studied the landscape, illuminated by the rising sun, from his vantage point on the balcony that circumnavigated the upper levels of the center cupola. The leader of the Akatsuki, the self-exiled former Jonin of the Hidden Waterfall Village, focused on the opposite side of the river that ran along to the east side of the temple complex.

His mind recalled the last significant event in his life that occurred at the side of a river…

 _While en route back to the Akatsuki hideout after a far away mission, Osamu and Sasori decided to stop and make camp for the night by a river in the Land of Mist. The invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village to secure the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki had ended in failure just a couple weeks prior, thanks to the defection of both Pain and Konan._

 _With those two missing and Deidara deceased, the Akatsuki had finally begun to see a significant strain on their numbers. Osamu was undaunted, unconcerned with the defections and death. If he knew anything about his employer, it was that the man would certainly have more than a few backup plans to succeed where the others failed._

 _And low and behold, Osamu found that he wouldn't have to wait long for his intuition to be confirmed correct. When he stepped out of camp to refill the canteens of himself and his partner at the edge of the river, just the man he had been thinking of arrived._

 _"Hey! Hey! Osamuuuuuu! Great to see ya again! How's it going, huh?!"_

 _"Tobi… what a delightful surprise. What could possibly bring you to this place?" Osamu asked the masked Akatsuki member as he faked irritation and the giddiness of the mysterious jokester. Staring straight at Osamu as his demeanor suddenly changed, the latter replied in his real, dark tone._

 _"The time has come. The next phase of the plan is to be set in motion, immediately," With his declaration made, Obito watched as his trusted confidant gave a grin that showed he understood what this meant._

 _"I see, so you've finally decided to rid yourself of that amusing charade. The next stage is to proceed without the Nine or the Eight Tails?" Osamu asked in genuine curiosity._

 _"We still have more than enough manpower to deal with the strongest Tailed Beasts soon enough. By the time the next stage is finished, we'll have their Jinchuuriki hosts within our grasp," Obito stated plainly._

 _"You sound especially confident, I can only assume your plans for Itachi paid off?" Osamu asked as his grin shrank into a smirk._

 _"Indeed. The weak link is gone, replaced by a stronger one, and his own lackeys," the former Genin of the Hidden Leaf offered no remorse at the loss of a younger relative. Osamu however offered some lament at the loss of the other Uchiha._

 _"A shame. Itachi may have never been truly one of us, but he understood culture better than most of the barbarians that we have to put up with. His tea parties were top notch."_

 _Obito looked out over the river before continuing, keeping his gaze over the water, "First thing's first, however. We need to tie up the remaining loose ends," as the rogue Uchiha finished, Osamu understood what he meant._

 _"Shall Sasori and I track down Konan before returning to the hideout? Do you want her dead or alive?"_

 _"No, I will track her down myself. She and her dear friends started this journey with me, it is only fitting that she finishes it with me. Proceed to the rendezvous point instead of the hideout. Kisame is already there with our new cohorts. Kakuzu and Hidan are on their way as well. You will be taking command in my absence. Make your way there in the morning and await my arrival," Obito stated firmly as he turned back to his lieutenant, giving his orders._

 _"Yes, it will be as you command, sir," Osamu replied earnestly while his trademark grin returned. Much was about to be decided._

And indeed, much was about to be decided, for back inside the temple in the war room, the menacing dark lord himself, Lord Jashin, removed the small demonic figurine he had previously placed on the Hidden Leaf Vilage on the map table, and replaced it with another figurine, one of a burning skeleton on its knees, reaching upwards and screaming. Elsewhere in the temple, Sasuke emerged from his new chambers in his old Akatsuki robe, his face a mask of indifference as always. It was clear this malevolent, sinister campaign, had only just begun…

 **The Work Journal for All Things Akatsuki:**

 **Chapter 1: An Eventful Meeting**

Inside the meeting room down in the base hidden under the Akatsuki hideout, the nine ninjas of the Akatsuki all sat in their seats, Osamu at the far end with the others along both sides. The Akatsuki leader addressed his teammates first by reintroducing their newest member.

"Good to see all of you. To begin, please welcome an old face rejoining our ranks by decree of Lord Jashin. Say hello to Sasuke Uchiha."

"Hello, Sasuke," the other seven ninjas greeted drolly in unison. Said Uchiha merely have a small nod in affirmation.

"All right, now to the first order of business. A local technician I hired from the village down the way will be here tomorrow to install additional security cameras along the corridor to our bedrooms. Can't afford to have open spaces left blind, just as a precautionary measure of course. Don't worry, I'll be wiping the man's memory once he gets his pay," Osamu explained. Riumi seemed to have some concerns as the raven-haired former Hidden Rain ninja abruptly spoke up.

"Excuse me leader, but are additional cameras really necessary? I mean, we're still the only ones with access to this place, other than Lord Jashin of course," as she finished, Hidan snorted in a knowing mockery, earning him a murderous glare from the young woman before she addressed him, "And what the hell was that for, you second-rate, insufferable whack job?!" as she finished, Kakuzu, who sat next to her, raised his hand to give her a high five, which she immediately met. Hidan did however have his reply ready.

"Please, stop shitting us. We all know you're just worried about being caught with strange man coming in and out of your room in the middle of the night," as he finished with a chortle, Hidan merely grinned as Riumi blushed furiously while her face contorted into a furious expression. Before she could tear into the deranged cultist sitting across from her, Osamu spoke up once again.

"Yes, we all hear things, and I have to erase their memories every time on their way out. Oh, that's probably the reason they never remember you," as the Akatsuki leader finished with a smirk, Hidan, Sasori, Iesyu, and Noboru all burst out into thick laughter, and both Sota and Sasuke let themselves smirk slightly as well. Riumi on the other hand looked about ready to combust as she shot back.

"I'm seriously not in the mood, morons!"

"Yeah, we hear that through the walls, too," Osamu pointed out, to which the young woman quickly screamed back.

"SHUT UP!"

 **A/N: And there it is, the debut of Book 2! Please leave feedback if you can, I do so enjoy hearing from my readers. Thank you all, I look forward to the next update. :)**


	2. Chapter 2: Uncertain Intrigue

**Naruto: Symphony of Eternity**

 **Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, the plot and main pairings would actually make sense.**

 _"_ _The shadow has fallen, the darkness seeking to consume the world is upon us in-full. And what can our great champions do as they charge when out of breath? In the unrelenting nightmare that is yet to come, the greatest strength for all who stand against it will be each other."_

 **A/N: A most sincere thank you to everyone who read Chapter 1, and even more so to those who left reviews. Now onto Chapter 2!**

 **Chapter 2: Uncertain Intrigue**

As the last traces of the Blood Moon faded from the bright, morning sky, the curse finally faded along with it. The denizens of the Hidden Leaf Village finally began to awaken. Naruto let out a heavy groan as he slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but eventually his sight cleared enough for him to recognize his surroundings. He had been left right where he had fallen, battered but alive. His bright blue eyes widened as he remembered he hadn't entered the fighting alone. Picking himself up off the pavement that warmed with the sun now high in the sky, the blonde ninja surveyed his surroundings before calling out.

"Shikamaru! Hey, you out there?!"

After a few moments when no response came, Naruto frantically began to take off in the direction he had seen his comrade go off in when the latter began fighting Hidan and Noboru. He called out again as he rounded the corner at the end of the block.

"Shikamaru!" Naruto looked down in shock at the body at his feet.

The veteran jonin in question, while displaying some dried blood on his vest, was on his back against the thin row of grass between the sidewalk and the street, snoring away in a deep sleep with his arms crossed over his stomach. At this point, he was still asleep of his own volition, not the curse of the Blood Moon. The expression of frantic concern Naruto had been holding immediately shifted to irritation at the blatant laziness of his friend. Kneeling downward, the blonde ninja again shouted, this time shaking his friend quite roughly.

"Shikamaru! What the hell is wrong with you?! Get your lazy ass up right now!"

Finally opening his eyes, albeit only partially, said jonin groaned in annoyance before rolling over onto his side. He sleepily replied to his energetic comrade as he rested his head against his hands as he brought both of them up to form a makeshift pillow.

"Go on without me, Naruto."

"You jerk, you're not seriously injured, you're just laying around, yet again!"

"Yeah, yeah, five more minutes, or hours, whatever…"

Naruto sighed as he looked back up, and noticed the hospital off the distance. He gasped as he saw smoke billowing out from the roof, and numerous windows along the front of the building broken through or completely shattered.

"Sakura!" With this realization, the young man jumped back to his feet and took off to the medical center.

* * *

Sakura groaned as she too opened her eyes. She was surprised to find herself on her back on the cold, tiled floor as her former mentor continued mending her wounds with a familiar green light of chakra in her palm. Said female sannin gave her younger, former apprentice a weak smile as she waited for Sakura to speak. Said pink-haired young woman abruptly raised her head as she spoke.

"Lady Tsunade… thank goodness you're safe. What happened? How's Ino?"

"Relax, Sakura. Ino is fine, you took more hits than she did. It was simple enough to patch her up and send her out to see what the damage is. You on the other hand shouldn't be moving too much just yet. Those Akatsuki wretches certainly didn't go easy on us," Tsunade explained with a huff, obviously upset at herself for letting the rogue ninjas escape so easily, even if it was out of her hands.

"I remember… everything was getting blurry before I blacked out… it was like my stamina was being drained right out of me," Sakura recalled as she laid her head back down as her respected sensei had instructed.

"I felt the same thing, Ino did too. But whatever it was, it definitely wasn't a jutsu either of our opponents were using… it was like nothing I'd ever felt before," the older, blonde sannin explained grimly. Both she and her patient were pulled out of their individual thoughts as an all too familiar voice rang out from down the hall.

"Sakura! Grandma Tsunade!"

Tsunade turned her head while Sakura raised hers again. Sure enough, their favorite blonde goofball was bolting towards them urgently. The expression displayed on his face was one of sheer relief. Sakura couldn't help but smile at him as she felt the same.

"Naruto! You're alright!" she exclaimed happily.

"Are you two okay?! What happened in here?!" as he finished, Tsunade answered him.

"We're fine, Naruto. The Akatsuki attacked the village, but you know that already, don't you?"

"Yeah, I fought with Osamu before everything went black…" Naruto trailed off as he struggled to think of just what he would tell Sakura. After all, Sasuke had only been back in the village for a little over two weeks, and already he was off, again in the company of the Akatsuki no less.

"We'll need to assess the damage to the village and hold an emergency meeting with the Hokage. They were here for something, and we need to find out what," Tsunade decreed as she finished healing Sakura, who sat up once her former mentor withdrew her hands. Sakura recognized the look of sadness and guilt on her new boyfriend's face.

"Naruto, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Sakura… Grandma Tsunade… I think I know why the Akatsuki were here…" Naruto began hesitantly.

"What did you learn?" Tsunade asked sharply as she focused intently on him. Sakura did the same, but her expression held her worry as well. Whatever this was, it wasn't good.

"They broke Sasuke out of house arrest, and he left with them… I saw him go with them just before I blacked out," the blonde young man explained solemnly, to which both his female companions nearly recoiled in shock as their eyes went wide. Sakura looked horrified, but Tsunade's own surprise quickly faded into anger as she snarled.

"Sasuke Uchiha… you little two-faced asshole! I'LL KILL HIM!"

"Sasuke… no… not again…" Sakura hung her head in disbelief.

"Sakura… I'm so sorry… I couldn't stop him, and after everything we-" Naruto was cut off. He squeaked as Sakura abruptly grabbed him and pulled him into a tight embrace, burying her head in his chest. After his surprise subsided, he wrapped his arms around her as well and held her close.

"You baka, don't you dare apologize to me… you said it yourself… he left on his own… just like last time," the pink-haired young woman sobbed.

"I just feel bad that after everything we did to bring him home, he gave it all up again like it was nothing," Naruto lamented sadly, but was surprised again as Sakura pulled back just enough to press her lips to his own. As she pulled away, she dried her eyes and let him know what she was thinking quite firmly.

"Naruto, don't blame yourself, please. You did everything right, you fulfilled your promise. He screwed up, and that's on him, not you. Don't go beating yourself up for his own stupidity," Sakura chuckled weakly with a sad smile, to which Naruto returned as he pulled her back to him. Sakura welcomed his embrace.

"Just what are those double-crossing traitors planning? With both their commanders dead, who's giving them orders now?" Tsunade pondered aloud. The younger couple at her side separated as they turned to face her. Naruto addressed her again as he weighed in.

"I'm not sure, Grandma Tsunade. Osamu looked like he was giving the orders, but someone I didn't recognize showed up when Sasuke did and appeared to be calling the shots."

"It seems the Akatsuki have reorganized, that much we can tell for certain. We'll need to meet with Kakashi as soon as possible. Whatever they're up to, we'll need to find out and stop them," Tsunade informed the younger couple with conviction.

* * *

Once the last of the fires were out, the smoke over the village finally began to clear. The damage in fact was pretty minor all things considered, a setback in the rebuilding, but nothing that required a complete teardown at any location. With the immediate threat over with and the damage contained, Kakashi called a meeting in his office in the Hokage tower, comprised of himself, Tsunade, Shikamaru, and Team 7 along with Yamato. The Sixth Hokage was needless to say taken aback by the news his former protégé had once again defected and sided with the Akatsuki, but what intrigued him more was the mention of a mysterious man in a mask from Naruto who apparently was the one behind the raid, and the new master of the Akatsuki.

"Sasuke choosing to turn against the village yet again is definitely cause for concern, and so is the Akatsuki claiming to be working for the Hidden Waterfall, but please, Naruto, do elaborate on this cloaked man you mentioned who seemed to be in charge, as you put it," as he finished, Kakashi waited for the blonde young man to recall what he had seen in greater detail.

"I didn't get a clear look at him, I was pretty out of it at that point. But he didn't wear the same robes as the other Akatsuki, and his voice… it didn't even sound… human. It was way freaky," Naruto couldn't help but feel a shiver run through him at the memory. His pink-haired girlfriend chimed in next.

"What could be have said to persuade Sasuke to join him?" Sakura pondered. The veteran jonin weighed in next, his words much to the dismay of Naruto.

"For all we know, Sasuke was only pretending to come back to us. Who's to say he hasn't been in league with the Akatsuki this whole time, acting as a spy?"

"That can't be! Sasuke wouldn't deceive us like that…" Naruto trailed off as his face once again gained a forlorn expression, uncertainty taking over. At that moment, a masked Black Ops operative burst through the door holding a report folder, and everyone turned their attention to his abrupt intrusion. Kakashi immediately called out to him while the latter panted to catch his breath, clearly on urgent business whatever it was.

"What's this about? This is an emergency meeting you're interrupting, you know."

"My sincerest apologies, Lord Hokage, but you yourself ordered immediate notification for reports in this matter," the masked agent explained as he walked up to the desk, the others stepping aside to allow him through.

"I did, did I? Well hand it over, then," Kakashi gave a sigh as he reached out to take the folder. Upon opening it, his expression changed to complete surprise, and he looked back up to the operative to inquire with him, "Has this report been verified? Are you sure the information is accurate?"

"Completely, Lord Hokage. The witness checks out," the masked agent affirmed instantly.

"Very well, dismissed," the Sixth Hokage ordered, and the Black Ops operative bowed in respect and quickly left without another word.

"What is it, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked, everyone else eager to hear what the report said. Kakashi cleared his throat before revealing the sudden development nobody in the room had seen coming.

"According to this report, Hinata Hyuuga has been spotted in the Kagadaki Lowlands at the base of the mountains in the Land of Iron. The sighting was made just two days ago…"

Everyone was visibly shaken at the news. Hinata had been listed as MIA and later filed as deceased towards the end of the war, having gone missing near the final confrontation with Obito and Madara, a battlefield that was completely ravaged not long after by the enemies' jutsu, making recovery of the dead virtually impossible. A memorial service had been performed and everything. To hear that she was still alive was a great surprise to everyone, to say the least. After a long moment of stunned silence, finally Tsunade spoke up.

"The current situation is cause for great concern, but we can't overlook this sudden development, either," as she finished, Kakashi gave his assessment, next.

"I agree. I'll deploy Black Ops to try and get to the bottom of this attack. Yamato, you'll be leading a search team to the Kagadaki Lowlands to investigate this report. If the sighting turns out to be true, your orders are to recover Hinata and bring her home."

"Yes sir, Lord Hokage," Yamato affirmed.

"Who's going to be on the team?" Naruto asked quickly. Sakura and the others present listened intently. After another few moments of silence, Kakashi answered, having decided who to send.

"Team 7 will be going, along with Kiba, Akamaru, and Neji. Their tracking abilities, plus Neji's familial connection to Hinata would prove greatly beneficial. You are to leave immediately."

As the Sixth Hokage finished, outside the office in the hallway, the same Black Ops agent who had just delivered the report slowly pulled out his medallion with the Jashin Crest, and then tucked it back away before walked down the hall and out of sight.

 **The Work Journal for All Things Akatsuki:**

 **Chapter 2: Public Humiliation**

"Well if we're all here, where's Riumi?" Sota asked the others after he took his seat in the meeting room. The other eight ninjas of the Akatsuki were all present in their seats, minus the sole woman on the team. Osamu had an explanation ready.

"Since she nearly botched the last group mission, I decided a little reprimand was in order. I sentenced her to wander the village for the day wearing a special sign I had crafted for her to wear," the Akatsuki leader finished with a smirk.

Over in the nearby village, Riumi was walking down one of the streets with her shoulders slouched and her expression pissed. The wooden sign that hung from around her neck by a rope was painted in clear black letters, _"_ _Ask me how I endangered the lives of my awesome teammates."_ As she turned a corner, she stopped short of running into a male villager, who took a moment to study the words before addressing her.

"Hey, turn around, I wanna see the answer," at his words, Riumi's face twitched in anger.

"I got a better idea; bend over and I'll give it to you."

 **A/N: Please review if you would be so kind. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Not Alone Anymore

**Naruto: Symphony of Eternity**

 **Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, the plot and main pairings would actually make sense.**

 _"_ _The shadow has fallen, the darkness seeking to consume the world is upon us in-full. And what can our great champions do as they charge when out of breath? In the unrelenting nightmare that is yet to come, the greatest strength for all who stand against it will be each other."_

 **A/N: I wanted to take a moment to address those of you who shared your thoughts previously.**

 **Spumid: Thanks for your encouraging words! Yeah, Naruto has always been good with words when he actually puts his mind to it. Poor boy, reminds me of myself in some ways when I was younger.**

 **Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: Good to see my comedic writing still doesn't go to waste. My partial intent is for the newer faces in the Akatsuki to become a tad more familiar before more focus is diverted to them in the main storyline.**

 **Dbzgtfan2004: I fully intend to continue this series and have it filled with multiple plot developments that prominently feature, and by all means not least of all, NaruSaku goodness!**

 **Now, onto Chapter 3!**

 **Chapter 3: Not Alone Anymore**

The afternoon hours had been going by one at a time without a trace of the objective to be found. The Kagadaki Lowlands were vast and with the political climate in the Land of Iron unstable as ever, the window of opportunity the Leaf ninjas had to possibly locate and recover the Hyuuga heiress was closing steadily as the day went on. As the search team stood perched on branches of oak trees within sight of another farming hamlet, Yamato addressed his younger charges without turning to face them, keeping his eyes on the Iron civilians going about their daily business in the distance.

"I don't need to remind everyone if we haven't found her by sundown, we'll need to return across our border regardless of the situation. We can't risk being out here overnight," as the veteran Black Ops operative finished, Naruto, as usual, chimed in.

"We can't think that way! If Hinata is out here then we **will** find her!"

Sakura moved to his side, lacing their fingers together. He turned to face her as his expression softened. She spoke to him firmly as she nodded in support.

"You're right, Naruto. We'll all bring her home."

Naruto smiled before looking over to Sai and Neji, both of whom also nodded in determination. Yamato called their attention back to him.

"Believe me, I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, either. Neji, try using your Byakugan again. We've put considerable distance since the last time you checked."

"Right, of course," the esteemed Hyuuga male replied in affirmation as he activated his clan's signature eyes.

* * *

Across the world many miles away at the main temple of the Order of Jashin, at the central shrine in the courtyard just beyond the wrought iron gates that marked the entrance into the complex, a young man with jet black hair pulled back into a pony tail, clad in his Akatsuki robes, sat on his knees. His hands were clasped together as they held a dangling Jashin Medallion that was dripping freshly-shed blood. Sensing a familiar presence behind him, Sota Uchiha opened his eyes, twin Mangekyou Sharingans. He addressed the new arrival in his usual, indifferent voice, typical of the Uchiha Clan.

"I don't think you've come here for prayer, young Sasuke. You've come for something, or someone else, have you not?" as he finished, Sota listened as his relative replied simply.

"You know I came here for you. We need to talk," Sasuke waited for a long moment before Sota sighed and spoke up again, still not turning around.

"Once the leader informed us that Lord Jashin was specifically looking to recruit you into his ranks, I knew this day would come. You know, I've known you were alive for quite some time, Sasuke," as Sota elaborated, Sasuke tilted his head slightly in curiosity.

"You knew I was alive?"

"Of course, word of your exploits before and during the war traveled far and wide. I would never forget the name of my second cousin, the only other survivor of the massacre aside from myself. And…" as he trailed off, Sota turned around as he stood up, baring his eyes in a severe glare at the other Uchiha before him. He continued as he observed Sasuke step back in surprise, "… I would never forget the name of the boy who robbed me of my chance at vengeance on Itachi," Sota finished harshly. Sasuke returned the glare with a hardened expression even as a head of sweat rolled down the side of his face. He recognized the eyes of his older relative.

"Those eyes… they aren't yours!"

"Very astute, Sasuke. But they **are** mine, now. Consider them payment for the victory you stole from me."

"Those eyes were my brother's! How the hell did you manage to rip them from his skull?! I never told anyone where I buried him after the reanimation jutsu was broken!" as he finished, Sasuke narrowed his eyes further as Sota merely chuckled as his words.

"The how doesn't matter, all that does matter is what happens now that you know who I am and where it is I obtained my current eyes."

Sasuke and Sota continued to stare each other down in silence for a few long minutes, the two last remnants of the Uchiha Clan carefully determining their next move. Finally, the younger of the two spoke again.

"I didn't come here seeking battle with you, if that is what you're suspecting. I simply wanted to know who you were. If you're alive, could it mean there are still other survivors of our clan out there somewhere?"

"That is not possible. I was the only one who escaped. I took the liberty of verifying that for myself those five years I wandered the fringes of the world in exile. Imagine my surprise when I learned Itachi spared you, his little brother, when he did not hesitate to slaughter his own parents."

"Didn't Itachi try and hunt you down? Did he know you escaped?" Sasuke inquired.

"Of course he did, that's a yes to both. My sole purpose was to get stronger to someday confront him and turn the tables, and all the while I evaded him before he finally gave up the hunt. He probably figured I'd come to him sooner or later. I fully intended to, but again, you robbed me of my chance at vengeance. All along we were after the same thing, a pity the opportunity to combine our efforts never presented itself," Sota lamented over what could have been, clearly having thought about his revenge for a long time.

"He was **my** brother. It was **my** place to avenge what he'd done to us and the clan, not yours," Sasuke fired back sternly.

"Perhaps, but you still compounded my failure by also killing Danzo. That sniveling rat bastard was next on my list, you know," the older Uchiha informed his younger cousin. At this point, Sasuke wasn't surprised the man before him knew the truth behind the fall of their clan.

"For someone so hell-bent on vengeance, you sure let the opportunities slip away rather sadly," the younger Uchiha arrogantly mocked with a sly grin, to which Sota merely rolled his eyes, refusing to give in and be baited.

"You may have progressed significantly for someone so young, a commodity in your old team if I'm to understand, but do yourself a favor and remember these words: the remaining members of the council back at the Hidden Leaf are **mine** to kill. Anyone who gets in my way is finished, even if that someone is you, my dear cousin," Sota declared with venom, to which Sasuke merely smirked and nodded.

"Fine by me, I'm no longer interested in being the avenger," with his words finished, Sasuke turned and left. Sota narrowed his eyes and studied his younger relative as the latter did so.

"Oh, somehow I doubt that, Sasuke Uchiha…"

From within the dimly-lit war room inside the center cupola where he stood alone, Lord Jashin slowly opened his own pitch black, pupil-less eyes, having silently listened to the entire conversation within his mind.

* * *

At the same time back in the Kagadaki Lowlands, the search team waited anxiously as Neji continued scanning the surrounding area with his Byakugan. Finally, his eyes bulged and widened as he gasped, sensing a familiar presence, however faint, in the distance to the south.

"It's… its Hinata! She's at a rice farm about ten miles south-southeast!"

"Are you certain?" Yamato asked quickly as the rest of the team narrowed their eyes in determination.

"I haven't been this certain about anything in a while, sir. I know my cousin anywhere!" Neji affirmed for his superior.

"The let's not waste any more time! Everyone, move out!" Yamato commanded.

Within a matter of minutes, the search team stood crouched down on a hilltop overlooking a rustic rice farm just at the bottom of the slope. The simple cottage had a thatch roof with a canopy overhang on the front side. It was surrounded by a barn, stables, a lone silo, and several dozen irrigated rows of race plants each divided by dirt paths.

"Should we surround the place just in case there are hostiles in there?" Kiba asked as he gently pat Akamaru, and Sakura almost scoffed at the notion.

"It's a **rice farm** , Kiba. I somehow doubt dangerous opponents like the Akatsuki or Orochimaru and his goons are in there," as the pink-haired ninja finished, Yamato gave his own assessment.

"Kiba has the right level of caution, but I agree with Sakura. No need to raise our guard too much just yet, we're not infiltrating an enemy facility or anything."

"Let's not waste any more time, the sun will be setting, soon," Neji reminded the team, and everyone nodded.

Once the search team stood out front, Yamato gently knocked on the wooden door, and everyone waited for a moment of tense silence before someone answered. The man who opened the door from the other side was somewhat scruffy in appearance, five o' clock shadow along with a black fumanchu mustache. A bamboo hat covered the top of his head, and a simple brown tunic with matching baggy pants covered his slim form. A simple pair of whicker sandals rested around his otherwise bare feet. He addressed the unexpected arrivals to his home in an honest tone.

"Who're you people? What're ya doin' on our farm?

"We are shinobi of the Leaf Village. Pardon the unannounced visit, but we have reason to believe one of our own is somewhere on these premises, Mr.?" Yamato inquired the man's name as he explained the situation.

"Dear, who is it?" a woman of similar age and physique came up behind the farmer. Her greying blonde hair was pulled into a single bun on the back of her head, and she wore similar farming clothes as her husband, signifying they both did grunt work on their farm. She held a curious expression at their guests, and her husband continued after he briefly turned to put an arm around her.

"Tanaka is our family name. This is my wife. Dear, these are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village," the farmer introduced. His wife exclaimed upon inspecting their uniforms.

"Of course! Why, I recognize those headbands of yours'! Did I hear you folks say yer thinkin' another shinobi from yer village is here on the farm?"

"Yes, exactly. Please tell us if you've seen this young lady," Yamato pulled out a picture of Hinata provided by her family to show the older couple. They both looked stunned by who they saw. Mr. Tanaka broke the silence first.

"Well how 'bout that? That's Aimi!"

"Aimi?" Naruto asked, bewildered. Now it was time for the search team to look puzzled. Mrs. Tanaka explained for them.

"That's the name we gave to the young lady who's been livin' with us over the last few months. She's the one in that there picture! Please, come in!" she stepped aside as her husband did the same.

"Yes, come in. She's back in her room right now," Mr. Tanaka elaborated as he led the search team inside, "Aimi, sweetie, there's some people here to see ya! Dear, go fetch her if ya would," he finished as he looked over to his wife, who nodded before departing from the room to do so. Once she was gone, Mr. Tanaka turned back to elaborate to the confused Leaf shinobi, "The Misses found the poor thing wondering the road not far from here. She had amnesia and no recollection of who she was, so we took her in and gave her that name all while asking around about her. Nobody we talked to had any clue who she was, until now."

"Thank you for taking care of her, she is my cousin," Neji bowed in respect to the humble farmer, who returned the gesture.

"I believe ya, boy, you have the same eyes she does," Mr. Tanaka replied as he studied the young man's Byakugan.

"How long has she been living with you and your wife?" Yamato questioned, knowing full well Hinata had been unaccounted for some time.

"Oh I reckon 'bout three months now. She insisted on helping us out 'round the farm as a way of repaying us taking her in. We didn't want her to exert herself in case her memory started comin' back, but it didn't, and she's gotten real good at farmin'. It'll be a darn shame to see her go, but she deserves to find out who she is," Mr. Tanaka solemnly admitted. He wouldn't go into details with relative strangers, but the mysterious young woman with amnesia his wife found had grown on the both of them, like having a daughter again…

And then, Mrs. Tanaka returned with Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress shyly looked upon her old friends and comrades as a clearly nervous expression was written across her face. Mrs. Tanaka wrapped an arm around her reassuringly as her husband walked over to them.

"Aimi, sweetie… these are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf Village. They are here for you, they know who you are…" he told her softly with a warm expression on his own face.

"W-who I am?" Hinata asked weakly. Both Neji and Sakura stepped forward first, and the latter engulfed her in a hug, which Hinata returned awkwardly after a moment.

"Do… do you recognize any of us, Hinata?" Sakura asked cautiously without letting go. The dark-haired young woman looked around at the faces of the rest of the search team, and could not do as was asked of her.

"I'm sorry… I-I can't…" I'm sorry," Hinata felt awful, but everyone gave her a sympathetic expression. Both Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka joined in the hug. The latter spoke first.

"They are here to bring you home, sweetie, where you truly belong…"

"W-where I belong? Home?" the Hyuuga heiress again wondered aloud, and Mrs. Tanaka chimed in.

"They can help you, being somewhere familiar might help you regain your memories. We all knew this day would come, right?"

Hinata gave a timid nod as she understood, but she still looked very uneasy. As Sakura stepped back, Hinata looked to her guardians sadly, who merely gave her smiles in a similar feeling. This was bittersweet for the older couple.

"Hinata… we have to go. We need to return across the border to the Land of Fire as soon as possible," Yamato finally stepped in. He too understood how sudden this must be for the young woman who suffered from memory loss, but that didn't change the fact that they were still on a timetable.

"I-I don't know… should I go?" Hinata turned back to Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka, who moved to engulf her in another hug. The latter reassured her first.

"It's where you belong, sweetie. These last few months have been wonderful, but you have a family and friends back at your home. We can't keep you, it would be too selfish," as Hinata felt liquid form in the corner of her eyes, her surrogate mother felt the same. Mr. Tanaka remained more composed, but reiterated what his wife was saying.

"We'll never forget you, you helped make this farm a home again," the middle-aged man told his surrogate daughter whole-heartedly, and she softly sobbed at his words.

"And I'll never forget you two, you've been so wonderful to me. I don't know if I'll be able to return these clothes…"

"Keep them, our gift to you," Mr. Tanaka told Hinata immediately, and Mrs. Tanaka nodded as she held her sad smile. Hinata slowly turned back to the search team, and looked up at them as Neji offered his hand to her gently.

Sakura was tearing up at the sight before her, and Naruto grabbed and held her hand, squeezing their palms together as he looked on as well.

As Neji slowly led Hinata out the front door, Mr. Tanaka held his wife as she choked back a sob. Once the dark-haired young woman was out the door, the man of the house asked Yamato a request.

"Please… we know it's asking a lot, but if there's any way we could learn how she does… we'd be sincerely grateful…"

Yamato sighed at this, sympathetic but uncertain of what to say. Finally he formulated his thoughts on the matter.

"I'll put in a word for you with the Hokage, and see what he says. I can't promise anything, but I'll carry your request to him."

"That's all we ask," Mrs. Tanaka replied earnestly.

As silently as they entered, the search team departed with their former comrade. It was time for Hinata to return home, and the trek back would be a long one. As Hinata walked with her cousin, Akamaru came up beside her to nudge his head against her affectionately. She smiled slightly through her watery eyes as she reached down to pet the dog, and looked over as she felt Kiba's hand on her shoulder, a warm smile on his face. She returned his smile with a slight blush on her face. Sakura smiled fondly at the sight, and Naruto did as well as they walked hand-in-hand. Much was still uncertain, but this mission would be chalked up as successful.

* * *

All the while as night fell at the main temple, Lord Jashin had summoned both Osamu and Kanaomaru to the meeting chamber just down the hall from the war room. His two first lieutenants were to meet with him, alone. The dark lord sat at the far end of the table with his elbows pressed against the flat surface as he leaned forward, his hands clasped together in a contemplative gesture. Three cups of tea, freshly prepared, sat in their cups on the table in front of him, their steaming pot beside them as well. At last, the door opened and the two elite ninjas entered, the door closing behind them as they did so.

"You summoned us, my lord?" the Akatsuki leader asked first.

"What is your will, great one?" the leader of the cult asked second.

Unclasping his hands, the dark lord opened his palms as he slowly let his arms drop, simultaneously gesturing to both the chairs opposite of each other just in front of him. Without lifting a finger, the two cups to the side of his own lifted up, levitating over the table in front of the chairs.

"Take a seat, gentlemen. And please, take your cups. I have a few things to go over with you both."

The two men did so without a word. Kanaomaru pulled down the fabric that covered the lower half of his face to take a sip as Osamu simply waited for their master to speak.

"A state of war has broken out across the world of the ninja once again. The Shinobi Alliance crumbles in the aftermath of our successful operations. The first stage of the plan is complete. Now, the phases for stage two can begin," Lord Jashin explained as a matter of fact, his hands returning to meet where they were just moments prior.

"The remaking…" Kanaomaru trailed off in realization as he set his cup down, and Osamu nodded, having understood himself.

"The Ascendant Council will be dispatched to the different countries when morning comes, spreading the good word. The way of the shinobi clans and villages is coming to an end. When the dust settles, there will be only one single entity of power and domination in this world."

"Yours," Osamu finished in affirmation. Lord Jashin nodded as he continued, and Osamu took a sip from his own cup as both he and Kanaomaru resumed listening intently.

"For ages the simple folk of this world have been forced to abide by the greed, selfishness, and personal agendas of the shinobi in power over them. Feelings of mistrust and animosity run rampant in more than just the battlefields between the villages. The promise of a way out, a means to break the cycle, will lure thousands upon thousands more to us. Only then can the remaking commence in full."

"The veil that hangs over the world will finally be lifted, by your hands my lord," Kanaomaru reiterated as he bowed in utmost respect. Osamu merely smirked before speaking up again.

"With all this missionary work in your name, I take it more covert missions will be the daily routine for a while?"

"Indeed, but do not worry about succumbing to habit or boredom. I assure you, the proper demonstration will be required to cement our message of triumph over the current system. And what better way to kick start the remaking of the world than by ending it where it all began?"

"The Hidden Leaf Village…" Osamu Sozenuoshi realized aloud as he understood once again, lowering his head as his eyes darkened. Now it was Gichio Kanaomaru's turn to smirk, as his thoughts drifted to what was to come.

"This time, I will be leading the attack personally, and the two last sons of the Uchiha Clan shall accompany me. It is only fitting they get a front row seat to the special occasion," the dark lord finished decisively.

"I'll inform the both of them at our next meeting," Osamu replied in affirmation once more.

 **The Work Journal for All Things Akatsuki:**

 **Chapter 3: Ring-a Ding-Ditch!**

After setting a wicker basket down with a red blanket over it through the handle, both Riumi and Iesyu giggled and chuckled mischievously as the former rang the doorbell at the entrance to the Akatsuki hideout. Once they heard the tumblers begin to work, they took off quickly in a run, quietly hushing one another as they did so.

Osamu opened the door and looked down as he formed a puzzled expression. However, he then sighed as he leaned down to pull the blanket away.

"Please don't let this be what I think it is… damnit it is!"

Having pulled the blanket away, the Akatsuki leader found Hidan's severed, bloodied head, which grinned up at him as the maniacal cultist chuckled sheepishly.

"Hey, leader, good to see you. Mind helping a friend out?" as Hidan finished asking nervously, Osamu merely narrowed his eyes, looking back up and calling out to the pranksters in the distance.

"To hell with you both Riumi and Iesyu! I know damn well it was you! Shouldn't you have left him in a brown paper bag you lit on fire?!"

"Hey! I fucking asked for a little fucking help, here!" as the two victims of the prank grew more irritated at the predicament, Hidan's headless body came stumbling out of the brush and ended up walking smack dab into the rock face of the hillside, falling backwards and onto the ground immediately after. "Hey, you idiot of a body, over here!" Hidan's head shouted over to the rest of him.

At that moment Kakuzu came up behind Osamu, took one look at the mess before him, and turned around and walked back further inside as he declared, "I'm not even gonna ask."

 **A/N: I hope you folks enjoyed. Please do review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: All That I've Done

**Naruto: Symphony of Eternity**

 **Book 2: Twilight of the Hidden Leaf**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. If I did, the plot and main pairings would actually make sense.**

 _"_ _The shadow has fallen, the darkness seeking to consume the world is upon us in-full. And what can our great champions do as they charge when out of breath? In the unrelenting nightmare that is yet to come, the greatest strength for all who stand against it will be each other."_

 **A/N: With the general plot outlined and the most recent side plot completed, I decided for this chapter to continue progress for the main pairing. Fair warning to my readers, drama and fluff in abundance is the theme for this chapter. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 4: All That I've Done**

Once the search team arrived back across the border in the Land of Fire, the sun was already down, and to the relief of the Leaf ninjas, it was the familiar white crescent moon in the night sky rather than the nightmarish crimson orb that had cursed them all the previous night. The Leaf village was still about half a day's trek away, and Yamato gave the order to set up camp for the night by a stream in the forest. The campfire was still freshly lit when Yugao from Black Ops arrived with a missive for Yamato from the Hokage. The news it held was grim, and Yamato sent the operative back to report the status of the operation. The veteran instructor called the team together around the campfire to deliver the unfortunate development. The only one absent was Hinata, who had already fallen asleep in her tent, and Yamato reasoned it wouldn't be necessary to include her in matters concerning missions until she regained more of her memory.

"The Hidden Sand Village was attacked the previous night, at the same time the Akatsuki raided the Leaf. According to the report… the entire city was demolished with the populace still inside… no word if there are any survivors…"

"NO! It can't be!" Naruto growled once his shock subsided.

"The Hokage dispatched another team to the Land of Air to investigate as soon as he got the news while we were out. Shikamaru is in charge of it. We'll learn further details when they return to the village sometime tomorrow."

Needless to say, everyone present was shaken at the news. It seemed unreal. Sakura wondered aloud, unable to help herself.

"What kind of power still exists after the war that's strong enough to destroy an entire ninja village in just a single attack?" as the expert medical ninja stared forlornly into the camp fire, Neji gave a deduction after a moment of silent thought.

"The Akatsuki surely are involved somehow. It can't be coincidence this coincided with their arrival in our own village last night," as the Hyuuga jonin finished, Kiba nodded as he snarled, visibly upset at the news like Naruto. With an impatient huff, said blonde ninja abruptly turned and stormed away towards the darkness of the trees. Yamato didn't waste any time sternly calling for the young man to return.

"Naruto! Stand down, that's an order!"

"Like hell I'm gonna wait another day to find out whether or not Gaara, Temari, and everyone else at the Sand village is alive or dead! I'm going to find Shikamaru's group!" Naruto fired back over his shoulder just before he went out of sight through the brush. Yamato merely gave a sigh at the boy's trademark persistence and impatience. He turned to Sakura who looked visibly worried for her teammate.

"Go after him, we don't want him doing anything rash."

"Yes, sir. I'm on it!" Sakura took off after Naruto without another word, quickly disappearing as well. Once she was, Hinata crawled out of her tent, sleepily rubbing her eyes. Noticing her movement, everyone turned to her.

"W-what's going on? I-I heard shouting…" Neji and Kiba both went to her side, as did Akamaru. Her cousin reassured her as gently as he could manage.

"Nothing, everything will be fine. Please Hinata, go back to sleep. This has been a trying day for you more than us."

As the rest of the team not absent from the camp ushered Hinata back inside her tent, Sai walked up to Yamato to volunteer.

"If it's alright with you sir, I'll take the first watch. Shall I alert you when Ugly brings Dickless back?" the socially inept ninja asked with his trademark smile, and Yamato sighed again as he looked back to the direction the other two members of Team 7 departed.

"That won't be necessary, Sai. I'll just as well find out soon enough. I'll have Kiba relieve you in a few hours."

"Naruto! Hey, wait up would you?!" Sakura called out as she finally closed in on her stubborn boyfriend. She teleported in front of him to block his path as soon as she caught sight of him through the dense forest.

"Don't try to stop me, Sakura. I'm not going back to the village until I know what happened with Gaara and the others," Naruto reiterated defiantly. Sakura huffed as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Baka, you heard Yamato-sensei; Shikamaru and the response team left hours ago while we were in the Land of Iron. By the time you could possibly catch up to them, they'd more than likely already be done assessing the damage and be on their way back with the survivors."

 **"** **If** there are any survivors, Sakura! You heard the report!" Naruto reminded her sharply, growing annoyed at her trying to stop him. He didn't have any time to waste!

"I know, Naruto! I also heard that another team is already on it! You can't go running off right now, we're still on a mission of our own, damnit! Did you forget about that?!" Sakura was growing annoyed at his one-track mind.

"Hinata is here with us now! She's fine! You guys don't need me to bring her back to the village! I know she's safe, I don't know about Gaara or everyone else at the Sand village!" the former jinchuuriki was visibly shaking now.

"Why is this so important to you?! I get that Gaara is a friend and ally, but his wellbeing isn't your concern! It's up to the Sand to see to their own survival, first! All trained shinobi understand that!"

"Get out of my way, Sakura, I won't ask a second time. I'll just go around you if I have to," Naruto lowered his voice as he growled, declaring his intentions to keep going no matter what she had to say to him.

"I'd like to see you try! You aren't doing this, Naruto. You have a duty to **our** village, first!" Sakura immediately replied as she almost spat, her own frustration reaching boiling point.

"I have to do this! You can't stop me!"

"Why, Naruto?! Why the hell is the survival of the Kazekage, someone who once tried to kill us repeatedly, so important to you?!" Sakura was shouting now, her eyes darkening.

"Because he understood!" Naruto shouted back suddenly, then went silent as he looked down, his emotions suddenly overwhelming him. I was anger and frustration combining with painful memories of the past.

At his words, Sakura also felt herself become silenced. Her expression softened, and she recoiled slightly as she retracted her claws. _"'_ _Understood?' What did Gaara understand about him?"_ As if reading her thoughts, Naruto elaborated in a hushed, weak tone.

"He understood what it meant to… to be a jinchuuriki. To have a tailed demon resting inside you, it's power always risking the state of your soul… and the reaction from those around you who despised you because they knew you carried it all inside you… He understood… that's why he and I are brothers, Sakura…"

Sakura felt all residual frustration and anger leave her at his words, and while he kept his head hung in remorse and sorrow, she frowned. She hadn't realized… and she mentally kicked herself as she thought to herself that she should have.

 _"_ _Damnit… what is wrong with me? Of course that's how he and Gaara could relate to one another… why they became friends so quickly after the conflict with his village and the Sound. He… he could relate to Naruto because they were the same… offered him some kind of belonging when so few did back then."_

The pink-haired young woman felt tears well up in the corners of her eyes as she thought back to those days that seemed so long ago. Naruto always having to endure the scorn of the ignorant who despised him for being the container of the Nine-Tails. He suffered alone for so long, and she didn't do anything at all to ease his pain because she was still fawning over Sasuke day after day. If anything, her mocking and hitting him only increased his misery. No, she did worse than just nothing.

Sakura silently let her tears fall as she felt her heart break while she watched him with his head to the ground. Truly, why this sweet boy, no, this spectacular young man loved her was a mystery. She didn't do anything worthy of his affections all those years they were together on the same team, and that never stopped him from dotting on her all the time no matter how much she used and abused him. The overwhelming sensation of pure and raw guilt had returned to her with a vengeance. It caused her to struggle as she choked back a sob. No, she had no right to cry.

Finally steeling herself, Sakura stepped forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. She yanked him to her swiftly, and he gasped slightly as he didn't expect the sudden change in her demeanor. Of course nonetheless, he returned her embrace not long after he regained his senses. He felt her trembling and he squeezed her tighter.

 _"_ _Damn it all, I was supposed to be comforting him…"_ Sakura berated herself again in her mind. She finally said the only words that she could think to say, "I'm… I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm so sorry."

"Sakura, don't worry about. It's okay," at his words, she merely tightened her hold on him, just short of constricting him in her arms.

"No, it's not. It'll never be okay, and I won't forget it, Naruto…"

Sensing her internal self-anguish, the blonde young man merely cradled her lovingly as they stood wrapped in each other's arms. She snuggled into his warmth instantly in response. She knew full well that she wasn't deserving of someone as wonderful as him, but that wouldn't stop her from working to earn the love he's selflessly given her for so long for the rest of her days.

After a few minutes of the young couple comforting and calming one another, they started on their way back to camp. It wasn't long before the blonde young man stopped and shot his arm out in a gesture for Sakura to halt as well. The pink-haired young woman moved to his side to whisper softly.

"What is it?"

Naruto was looking every which way, gauging their surroundings before replying in an equally-hushed tone, "We're not alone; can you feel it? Someone with a high level of chakra is up in the trees to our right."

Sakura scrunched her eyes as she concentrated, but they went wide as she realized her boyfriend was right, "Yeah, I definitely sense it now. Could it be Yamato-sensei or one of the others?"

"I don't think so, they would've come down to us by now if they were looking for us."

"You can whisper all you want, but without trying to conceal your presence it's a useless gesture."

This time Naruto joined Sakura with a surprised expression as they both looked up to their right. Osamu Sozenuoshi stood on a large branch above them,staring down at them through his eye mask with his cobalt eyes and a knowing grin. Both Leaf shinobi hardened their own expressions as their surprise subsided.

"You!" Sakura growled, none too pleased to see the veteran Akatsuki ninja in the Land of Fire once again.

"Naruto Namikaze, Sakura Haruno. A pleasure as always. I'd tip my hat if I were wearing one," the brown-haired, blue-eyed rogue greeted the young couple snidely. Naruto snarled as he spoke up.

"And just what are you doing out here, Akatsuki?!"

As Naruto attempted an impromptu questioning, Sakura began to worry as her mind drifted to what the sudden presence of an Akatsuki veteran so close to Hidden Leaf could mean.

 _"_ _If Osamu is here, then Sasori can't be that far behind. Or worse, the rest of the Akatsuki! Naruto and I need to get back to camp and warn the others!"_

"Oh, I figured it was a lovely evening for a stroll. Wouldn't you agree, boy?" the Akatsuki leader didn't let up on his casual-toned mockery, much to the chagrin of the young couple.

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she joined Naruto in staring down their longtime adversary, figuratively speaking as said man was still standing above them in the trees. They both took up fighting stances as Osamu elegantly leapt from his perch and steadily landed on his feet in front of them.

"Not one step closer! I'm warning you!" Sakura warned as she began channeling chakra into her fists. Osamu merely chuckled as Naruto brought his fingers together, ready to perform combat jutsu in any given moment.

"So you two finally got together, eh? Can't say I'm surprised," the brown-haired man smirked at his words. Both Leaf shinobi blushed despite themselves, caught off-guard by the sudden declaration. Sakura was the first to attempt a rebuttal.

"W-w-whaddya mean? What makes you think that, and what would it have to do with anything?" with her words spoken, she watched as Osamu merely chuckled again, closing and reopening his eyes as he did so.

"Naïve girl, did you already forget I possess the ability to hear the thoughts of those around me at will? I overheard your little lover's spat without any difficulty, you've both always been quite loud in your own minds, you know."

"So what? What does our relationship have to do with anything you're up to?" Naruto spat defiantly. The Akatsuki leader twisted his lips back into a grin before answering.

"My partner and I have our own reasons for being in the Land of Fire and I'm not going to divulge them to either of you. Don't worry, I'm not here to fight you. Just passing through is all, but I would like to provide you a warning you should heed; leave well enough alone. If you dare try and uncover who he is, your curiosity will be your undoing."

Both Naruto and Sakura took a moment to think about what he meant before the latter replied first, "You mean the masked man in the cloak Naruto saw leading you guys, right? Who is he?!" Osamu merely shook his head dismissively at her words.

"I just told you not to dig any deeper. I can see why you fell for the boy, you share a thick-skull among other wonderful qualities."

"Don't you dare talk down to her? Tell us who he is now!" Naruto growled, his temper flaring at the calm, uncaring mockery from their foe.

"All you need to know is what I am certain of; even with my limited time in his service, I know without any shred of doubt he is nothing like anything or anyone any of us have ever faced before. The events he has set into motion cannot be undone, and when the time comes you can either join him as we have or be cast aside. That is all there is to it."

"Is that supposed to be some kind of threat? Pretty weak if that's all there is to it!" Sakura fired back, her temper rivaling that of her boyfriend.

"You misunderstand what I am saying; this is no threat, this is a promise. You have been warned, your fate is now your own," and with that, Osamu turned to leave, walking away without paying the two Leaf shinobi any further heed.

"That's it?! You're just going to walk away?!" Naruto couldn't believe the audacity of their foe. Sakura took a step forward, but stopped the moment the Akatsuki leader retorted while still walking with his back to them.

"I suggest the both of you return to your own mission. The amnesiac heir to the Hyuuga clan will still require an escort back home in the morning, will she not?" with this revelation, both Naruto and Sakura gain felt their eyes go wide as they gasped in surprise.

"And just how did you know about that?" Naruto asked, his voice tight.

"Goodbye, Naruto and Sakura. It's been an interesting meeting as always. I look forward to seeing the two of you again, soon enough."

And with that, the veteran Akatsuki ninja teleported away, leaving the young couple to collect their thoughts under the star-strung night sky.

 **The Work Journal for All Things Akatsuki:**

 **Chapter 4: Missionary Business**

It was early evening at the hidden base under the Akatsuki hideout. Iesyu and Noboru were at work restocking utility packs in the storage room. In the common room, Osamu was going over geographical charts, Kakuzu was counting his money from a bounty he cashed in earlier in the day, and Riumi was sharpening her Kunai.

Suddenly out of nowhere, the phone rang on the desk Osamu was using. Sighing, the Akatsuki leader shifted his focus to the device, picking the corded landline phone off the receiver to address the caller.

"Yes? Yeah, that's us. Wait, what? Damn it, are you sure it was him? Ugh, fine, we'll take care of it. Bye," placing the phone back, Osamu turned on his swivel chair to Kakuzu and Riumi just as Sasori entered from the meeting room down the hall. The other three had turned their attention to Osamu.

"Something up, partner?" the young red-headed puppet master inquired.

"That was one of our contacts. Hidan's escaped and he's terrorizing the village," Osamu sighed as he stood, "Sasori and Kakuzu, come with me. Apparently he's gone into a house and hasn't come out for over an hour."

"Seriously? Don't I have to put up with enough of his antics during the day?" Kakuzu griped at the prospect of wrangling in his demented partner.

"I'll be increasing this week's pay by fifty percent for anyone who helps me out," Osamu added.

"Works for me," Kakuzu replied immediately.

"Fine, fair enough I suppose," Sasori agreed.

"Not worth it," Riumi dissented without hesitation.

As the three men made their way out, the leader looked over his shoulder to give his orders, "Noboru is in charge until we get back. Do be a dear and let him know, Riumi."

"Whatever you say, sir," the raven-haired girl replied casually.

Once in the village, it didn't take long for the three Akatsuki to find the house Hidan had broken into. After casing downstairs, they went upstairs and were inevitably surprised to find their deranged cohort sitting in a circle with a slumber party of little kids. He was sharing his own twisted idea of a bedtime story with the kids as they on their sleeping bags in their pajamas.

"And so, the great and all-knowing Lord Jashin finished his glorious butchering of all the shit-eating and pathetic unbelievers! And only those who served him faithfully and without question lived happily ever after, dancing atop the piles of dead bodies and organs drenched in blood!"

"Ahem!"

Hidan and the clearly confused and traumatized children all shifted their focus to Osamu as he, Sasori, and Kakuzu stood in the doorway to the bedroom.

"Oh hey guys, nice of you to join us! Get this, I break in and some skinny broad mistakes me for some babysitter she hired. So she leaves me in charge of her kid's sleepover, and I'm getting paid by the hour too. Pretty sweet gig, eh?"

At this news, Sasori face palmed while Osamu sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples. Kakuzu however was intrigued.

"How much money are we talking about?"

"15 ryo an hour."

"That's not bad. Maybe I should consider this babysitting thing on the side," Kakuzu pondered as he rubbed the underside his mask-covered chin with one hand.

"All right, time for damage control. Sasori, drag the dumbass back to the hideout, Kakuzu, keep watch while I restore and alter the memories of these kids," Osamu stated as he relayed his instructions.

"Hey, fuck that shit! I'm not done here!" Hidan complained. The poor kids were clearly too traumatized to speak.

"Yes. You. Are. And by the way, what happened when the real babysitter showed up?" Osamu asked sternly.

"Sacrificed in the basement," Hidan replied as a matter of fact.

"Okaaay, get him out of here right now, Sasori," Osamu reiterated instantly.

Using his puppet of the Third Kazekage, said red-head quickly incapacitated and hauled Hidan out of the room and away from the premises, who repeated various graphic profanities at the three quite loudly every step of the way.

After two hours of concentrating on his task, Osamu has successfully restored the minds of the little kids and altered their memories of what had transpired. Standing back up and turning to calling Kakuzu back up, who had been waiting around downstairs, the Akatsuki leader gave his orders to his fellow veteran of the Hidden Waterfall.

"It's done, I'm going to make sure things are in order back at the base. You stay here and watch these kids until their mother comes back. You can keep Hidan's pay."

"Sounds good to me," the masked ninja replied in agreement. With that Osamu departed without another word, and Kakuzu promptly took his seat in the circle with the kids. He had his own story to tell the young ones, "Okay kids, this scary story is called _'_ _Why you should Never Leave your Money with the Bank'_ , based on a true story."

 **A/N: Another sincerest thank you to all my readers. Please review if you would. :)**


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